Chap. II. The HISTORY of the PURITANS. 47 lince the BISHOPS were refolute, that he might acquiefce in the ufe of King vf. themfor a time, till they were taken away by law : And the rather, becaufe Edward r5 the reformation was in its infancy, and it would give occafion of triumph to the common enemy, to fee the reformers at variance among themfelves., The divines of Switzerland and Geneva were of the fame mind, being un- willing that a clergyman of fo much learning and piety, and fo zealous for the reformation as Hooper was, fhould be frlenced; they therefore advifed him to comply for the prefent, that he might be the more capable by his authority and influence in the church,. to get them laid afide. But thefe reafons not fatisfying Hooper's confcience,,he perfifted in his refufal for above nine months. The governing prelates being provoked lat his fliffnefs, refolved not to Hooper fuffer fuch a precedent of difobedience to-the ecclefiaftical laws, to go un- h °idly u/ed. punifhed.. Hooper muff be a bithop, and muff be confecrated in the man- ner others had been, and wear the habits the law appointed ; and to force him to comply, he was ferved with an order of council, firft to filence him, and then to confine him to his houle. The doétor- thought this ufage very fevere: To mifs his promotion was no difappointment, but to be per- fecuted about cloaths, by men of the fame faith with himfelf, and to lofe his liberty becaufe he would not be a bifhop, and in the fafhion, this (faya , Mr, Collier) was poflibly more than he well underftood. After Tome time .Hooper was committed -to the cuflody of Cranmer, who not being able to - bring him to conformity, complained to the council; and theyordered him into the Fleet, where he was confined fome months, to the reproachof the reformers. At length he laid his cafe before the earl- of Warwick,- who by the king's own motion, wrote to the archbifhop to difpenfe with the habits at hisconfecration : But Cranmer alledg'd the dangerof apre munire ; where- upon a letter', was fent from the king and council to the archbifhop, and other bithops to be concerned in the confecration, warranting them to difpenfe with the garments, and difcharging them of all,manner of dangers, penal- ties, and forfeitures, they might incur any manner of way, by omitting the fame : But though this letter was dated flügufb the 5th, yet fuch was theKft. Refer. . reluctance of Cranmer and Ridley, that R eoper was not confecrated till the voL III. March ÿ f following; g; in whichtime, a. s bifho Burnet, matter was in P' r57 p theDàffer- Tome fort compromifed; Hooper confenting to be robed in his habits at his race eomp'o oonfecration, and once at court; but to be difpenfed with at other times..mld. Accordingly being appointed to preach before the king, he came. forth . (faya Mr. Fox),; like a new player on the Rage: His upper garment was a long fearlet chymere down to the foot, and under that a white linen rochet that covered all his fhoulders, and a four fquare cap upon his head ; btit:he took,it patiently for the publick_profit of the church. After this, Hooper re- Fuller tired to his dioeefe, and preached fometináes two or three times a day, to crouds.,
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